Governor for air-compressors.



G. OBRYAN.

GOVERNOR FOR AIR GOMPRESSORS. APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 9 1909.

965,120, Patented July 19,1910.

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G. O'BRYAN.

GOVERNOR FOR AIR GOMPRESSORS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 9. 1909.

965,120, Patented July 19,1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFXCE.

GORY OBRYAN, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

GOVERNOR FOR. AIR-OOMPRESSORS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GoRY OBRYAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Governors for Air- Compressors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a governor or controller for electrically driven air compressors, the object of the invention being to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive construction of governor embodying a movable switch member controlling the supply of current to the pump motor and controlled in action by a balancing device influenced in its movement in one direction by the air pressure and in its reverse direction by springs or other suitable means, whereby an eflicient type of mechanical controller is produced which is positive in action and dispenses with the use of electro magnets and devices embodying a column of oil.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation, partially in section, of a governor embodying my invention, showing the switch in position to close the motor circuit. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the movable switch contact member.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide an inclosing box or casing 1, made of wood or other suitable material. Within one end of said box or casing is arranged a block 2 having a bore or passage 3 and an internally threaded tubular projection 4 which extends through the adjacent end wall of the casing and receives the proximate end of an air pipe 5 communicating with some suitable portion of the system supplied by the air pump.

A stop plate 6 is arranged upon the face of the block 2 and provided with elongated Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed August 9, 1909.

Patented July 19, 1910. Serial No. 512,102.

slots 7 for the passage of screws 8 entering the block whereby said plate is adjustably secured thereto for a purpose hereinafter described.

The bore 3 forms a cylinder in which is movably mounted a piston 9, which is movable through a stuiiing box 10, closing the upper end of said cylinder and serving to prevent escape of air at such point. The piston 9 carries a balancing member in the form of a yoke or forked bracket embodying a cross bar or head 11 and parallel arms 12 extending at right angles therefrom toward the opposite end of the casing.

The arms 12 are provided with reduced cylindrical stems or extensions 13 forming at their points of juncture therewith shoulders 1%. Mounted in the opposite end wall of the box from the block 2 are threaded adjusting screws 15 having hollow body portions to receive the free ends of the stems 13 and provided at their outer ends with angular heads 16 for the reception of a wrench, whereby they may be adjusted. The piston 9 is movable upwardly, or in the direction away from the block 2 and toward the screws 15, by the air pressure within the cylinder 3, and springs 17 are provided to balance the yoke and bracket against such pressure. These springs encircle the stems 13 between the shoulders 14: and screws 15 and exert downward pressure against the yoke in opposition to the air pressure. By adjusting the screws 15 in or out, the tension and resistance of the springs to the air pressure may be increased or diminished as circumstances may require to secure the desired sensitiveness of operation.

Arranged within the upper end of the casing at a point between the stems and adjusting screws is a supporting block 18 of wood or other suitable material, which block is provided with an elongated slot 19 for the passage of a screw 20, whereby it is adjustably secured in position. The block is provided upon its sides with strips 21 of fiber or other suitable non-conducting material, to which are secured contacts 22 and 23 having terminal relatively converging con rods.

tact portions 24. The sections 25 and 26 of an electric feed wire leading to the pump motor are connected with the respective contacts, thus disposing the governor in the motor circuit.

tact head 28, each formed with beveled ends to enter between and engage the surfaces of the contact terminals 24. The said switch member 27 is detachably secured by screws 29 or otherwise to a bar, plate or shank 30, which extends outwardly through the space between the arms of the yoke and is pivotally mounted at its rear end upon the bottom or rear wall of the casing, as indicated at 31. The movable switch member is thus mounted for movement in an arc to bring the contact head 28 nearest the block 18 into or to throw it out of engagement with the contacts, as will be readily understood. The body portion of the switch member is centrally secured to the shank 30, so that when the head 28 arranged to cooperate with the contacts is unduly worn, burned or otherwise rendered unfit for use, the switch member may be reversed upon the shank to bring the other contact head in position for use. As the movable switch member in its movements, plays between the contacts carried by the block 2, provision is made, by the adjustable mounting of said block 18 and plate 6, to vary their relative positions to regulate the throw of the movable switch member as occasion requires.

The shank 30 is provided at its sides with bearing sockets 32 to receive partially circular heads 33 upon the inner ends of a pair of oppositely disposed switch operating rods 34., thus forming a ball and socket or universal connection between the switch and The outer ends of said operating rods, which extend at right angles to the plane of movement of the switch, project into outwardly flaring or conical openings 35 formed in the arms 12, whereby said rods are slidably and pivotally connected with the yoke, so that reverse movements may be imparted thereto to actuate the switch on the movements of the yoke. A coiled spring 36 surrounds each rod between the socket 32 and a washer 37 bearing against the adjacent arm 12, such springs operating to im part movement to the rods to actuate the switch member, as well as to cushion the movements of the latter.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that the balancing member or yoke controlling the switch member is subjected on one side through the air pressure in the system and on its reverse side to the counteracting pressure of the springs 17, whereby the yoke will be maintained in switch member closing position when the pressure in the system is at or near the normal pressure desired, so that a current will be constantly supplied to the pump motor as long as such condition exists. In this position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the upper head 28 of the switch member 27 engages the contact terminals 24, and the switch member lies at the limit of its upward movement, in which position the rods 34L are substantially horizontal and arranged in alinement, so that the pressure of the springs 36 maintains the switch member in closed position. When, however, the pressure in the system falls below the desired normal pressure, the spring 17 forces the yoke downward against the counteracting air pressure, whereby the outer ends of the rods move downwardly therewith, thus disposing said rods at an upward and outward angle, so that their springs 36 will exert pressure on the shank 30 and throw the switch member 27 upwardly and into engagement with the contacts 2 1 or maintain it in such engagement, if already closed, to establish or maintain a supply of current to the motor. Hence the pump will continue to work until the normal air pressure is restored.

If, in operation, the air pressure in the system should exceed the normal pressure, the preponderating pressure of the air in the cylinder 3 will force the yoke upward against the resistance of the spring 17, thus moving the rods 34: to the opposite angular position, whereupon the springs 36 will exert their expansive energy to force the shank 30 downward and thus throw the switch out of engagement with the contacts, breaking the circuit until the air pressure again falls to the normal, when the switch will be thrown to closed position in the manner previously described. lVhere the pressure fluctuates at times above and below normal, the switch will play back and forth, being thrown into and out of engagement with the contacts, to make or break the circuit as occasion requires to maintain the air pressure at the normal.

It will be apparent that the flaring form of the openings 35 in the arms 12, whereby the rods 3a are slidably and pivotally connected with said arms, permits the rods to assume the different angular positions described in a ready and easy manner, and that the operation of the governor to control the degree of air pressure may be regulated at any time by adjusting the screws 15 to control the resisting action of the springs 17.

Stops 38 are provided upon the casing to limit the downward movement of the yoke 1 or balancing member, the upward movement of which is restricted by the springs 17 The downward movement of the switch is limited by engagement of the lower head thereof with the stop plate 6, which may be adjusted as occasion requires for this purpose to limitthe strain upon the springs 36 and prevent displacement of the rods 34: from the openings 35 through an excess downward movement of the yoke. As the acting switch head is liable under some conditions to are and stick or hang between the contact terminals 24, a releasing device 39 is provided to break connection and assist the springs 36 in this action. This releasing device comprises one or more members extending between the stems 13 and pivotally mounted upon brackets tO carried by the strips 21 or the block 18. The forward end of said device has a finger or bent portion 41 normally arranged between the contacts, blocks 18 and acting head of the switch, to engage and force said switch to a circuit opening position. The rear end of the releasing device is arranged in the path of movement of a contact rod 42 extending between the arms of the yoke, so that when the yoke moves upwardly, the releasing device will be swung to force the switch member 27 out of en gagement with the contacts in a positive manner. The rod 42 is preferably provided with a set screw or adjustable contact member L3 to engage the releasing device, where by the point of contact may be varied as required to compensate for the adjustment of block 18.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, the construction and mode of operation of my improved governor will be readily understood, and it will be seen that the invention provides a governor which is simple of construction, positive in action, adapted to be regulated for its sensitiveness and control the degree of normal air pressure, and which dispenses with the use of electro-magnets or balancing means employing oil columns and other like devices which are liable to easily get out of order.

I claim l. A governor for electrically operated air pumps comprising a cylinder, a piston operating therein, a yoke carried by the piston and movable in one direction under air pressure, springs connected with the arms of the yoke for counteracting the air pressure, circuit terminals, a pivotally mounted switch member movable into and out of engagement with said terminals, rods pivotally connected with the movable switch member and slidably and pivotally connected with the yoke arms, springs associated with said rods for actuating the movable switch member upon the movements of the yoke, and a device connected with and actuated by the yoke for releasing said switch member from engagement with said terminals.

2. A governor for electrically operated air pumps comprising a cylinder, a piston operating therein, a yoke carried by the pis ton and movable in one direction under air pressure, springs connected with the arms of the yoke t'or counteracting the air pressure, circuit terminals, a p'votally mounted switch member movable into and out of engagement with said terminals, rods pivotally connected with the movable switch member and slidably and pivotally connected with the yoke arms, springs associated with said rods for actuating the movable switch member upon the movements of the yoke, and a pivotally mounted releasing de vice connected with and actuated by said yoke for positively forcing said switch member out of engagement with said circuit terminal.

3. A governor for electrically operated air pumps comprising a cylinder, :1 piston operating therein, a yoke carried by the piston and movable in one direction by air pressure, counteracting springs engaging the arms of the yoke for moving the same in the reverse direction, circuit terminals, a pivotally mounted switch member movable into and out of engagement with said terminals, and operating connections pivotally engaging the arms of the yoke and movable switch member and provided with springs operative to open and close the switch when said connections are moved to different angular positions by the movements of the yoke.

4. A governor for electrically operated air pumps comprising a cylinder, a piston operating therein, a yoke carried by the piston and movable in one direction under air pressure, springs connected with the arms of the yoke for counteracting the air pressure, circuit terminals, a pivotally mounted switch member movable into and out of engagement with said terminals, rods pivotally connected with the movable switch member and slidably and pivotally connected with the yoke arms, and springs associated with said rods for actuating the movable switch member upon the movements of the yoke.

5. r governor for electrically operated air pumps comprising a cylinder, a piston, operating therein, a yoke carried by the piston and movable in one direction by air pressure, springs acting upon the arms of the yoke in opposition to the air pressure, means for regulating the pressure of said springs, circuit terminals, a pivotallymounted switch member movable into and out of engagement with said terminals, rods pivotally connected with the switch member and slidably and pivotally connected with the yoke arms, and springs associated with said rods for throwing said movable switch mem- & 965,120

her into and out of engagement with said arms, a pivotally mounted switch membercircuit terminals upon the movementsof the to engage said terminals, and operating conyoke. nections between said switch member and 6. A governor for electrically operated the arms of the yoke. 5 pumps comprising a cylinder, a piston inov- In testimony whereof I affix my signature 15 in presence of two witnesses.

able therein, a yoke carried by the piston,

GORY OBRYAN.

springs acting upon the arms of the yoke in opposition to the fluid pressure upon the Witnesses:

piston, means for tensioning said springs, C. H. JENKINS, 19 circuit terminals disposed between said H. O. JENKINS. 

